New Habits Are Hard to Keep, But Subscription Commerce Can Help While Fostering Loyalty

CaseyBurt-Headshot-(1).jpegNew Year’s resolutions are as much a part of the annual holiday as the Times Square ball drop. And while the change of the calendar spurs people to set resolutions and start new habits, they’re difficult to keep. In fact, according to U.S. News & World Report, 80% of those resolutions will fail by the second week in February.
 
To offset this prediction, the means to maintaining resolutions should be frictionless, flexible and personalized – and that’s where merchants can lend a hand. Whether consumers plan to up their skincare regimen, drink their morning brew at home to curb spending, or boost their health with a new protein powder and workout plan, an eCommerce subscription experience will keep consumers on track with their New Year’s resolutions. And as consumers stay committed to their goals, they’ll also commit to the brand helping them do so.
 

Remove friction from transactions

The first barrier consumers face is fitting a resolution into their already busy lifestyle. Subscription can help by automating the boring and inconvenient part of maintaining the resolution so consumers can focus on their goals. Let’s use fitness and health conscious consumers as an example. After initial enrollment, a consumer who subscribes to protein powder doesn’t have to put extra thought or effort into future purchases. Instead, their items arrive on a consistent basis, exactly when needed. Now, they are free to focus their time on meeting their new health goals. In contrast, if a non-subscriber runs out of protein powder, they must take time to stop at the store or order more online, adding a step and eroding momentum. However, if protein powder arrives on their doorstep exactly when it’s time for a refill, there’s no excuse to break their resolution.
 

Provide flexible options

Often, day-to-day life gets in the way of keeping resolutions. And we can all find plenty of reasons not to hit the gym. But with subscriptions, instead of locking consumers into a program that doesn’t work with their schedule or lifestyle, merchants can provide flexible options that make it easier for subscribers to meet their goals.
 
For instance, if a subscriber needs to briefly put their plans on pause, they have the option to easily skip an order. As a matter of fact, our data found that subscribers last 135% longer when they have this option. Subscribers can also seamlessly modify their orders by adding items or swapping products. With flexible options to skip an order or modify existing ones, merchants can prevent customers from canceling their subscriptions altogether. This helps consumers maintain their resolution, while also building loyalty.
 

Motivate subscribers with personalized messaging and content

Lastly, customers may give up on a resolution over time without a little motivation. Encouraging subscribers and reminding them of the benefits that the products they’ve subscribed to – as well as the overall subscription experience – is crucial to keeping resolutions. With personalized messaging and content driven by robust subscriber data, merchants can demonstrate their understanding and dedication to helping customers meet their goals. What’s more, subscribers hold a higher level of commitment than one-time shoppers and are more receptive to communication from a brand.
 
For example, sharing blogs with recipes or pre-designed workout plans can be beneficial to subscribers of protein powder. With beauty or skincare, offering early or exclusive access to new products provides additional incentives and benefits to enrolling, all while helping the individuals achieve their objectives.


Resolutions aren’t limited to the new year

In actuality, consumers set new goals and make resolutions throughout the year, so subscriptions can encourage new habits and foster loyalty year-round. By ensuring the subscription experience includes robust strategies that promote convenience, provide flexible options and motivate subscribers, merchants can cater to customers who need that extra nudge to stay on top of their goals no matter when they start.

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